Chrysanthemum plant named `Jingle Time`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named Jingle Time, characterized by its flat capitulum form; moderately vigorous and compact growth habit; freely branching plant habit; small anemone-type inflorescences; purple ray and disc florets; numerous inflorescences per plant; and excellent postproduction longevity.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and referred to by the cultivar name Jingle Time.

The new cultivar is a spontaneous mutation of the commercial cultivar Bi Time (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 08/232,653, now abandoned). The new cultivar was discovered and selected by the inventor in Havant, Hampshire, United Kingdom, as a single plant among a population of plants of the cultivar Bi Time. This single plant consistently formed inflorescences having purple-colored ray florets compared to the light lavender-colored ray florets of plants of the cultivar Bi Time.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Havant, Hampshire, United Kingdom, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of Jingle Time. These characteristics in combination distinguish Jingle Time as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Moderately vigorous and compact growth habit.

3. Freely branching plant habit.

4. Small anemone-type inflorescences.

5. Purple ray and disc florets.

6. Numerous inflorescences per plant.

7. Excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaining good substance and color for more than 3 weeks in an interior environment.

The cultivar Jingle Time has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are similar to the mutation parent cultivar Bi Time in inflorescence form and plant habit. However in side-by-side comparisons in Oxnard, Calif., under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Bi Time in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter and have shorter lateral branches than plants of the cultivar Bi Time.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have purple ray florets whereas plants of the cultivar Bi Time have light lavender ray florets.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fewer disc florets than plants of the cultivar Bi Time.

4. Disc florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter than disc florets of plants of the cultivar Bi Time.

5. The peduncle length of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is shorter than the peduncle length of plants of the cultivar Bi Time.

A detailed comparison of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Bi Time appears in Chart A at the end of the specification.

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering 16.5-cm container of Jingle Time with five cuttings in the container and the terminal inflorescences removed (center-budded pot chrysanthemum).

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Oxnard, Calif., under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with average night temperatures of 18° C., average day temperatures of 30° C., and light levels of 2,000 (cloudy conditions) to 9,000 (sunny conditions) footcandles.

After sticking unrooted cuttings of the new cultivar, plants received 21 long day/short nights followed by short day/long nights until flowering. Four weeks after the start of the short day/long night treatment, plants received one spray application of daminozide growth retardant at a rate of 2,500 ppm. Measurements and numerical values represent ranges or averages for six typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Jingle Time.

Commercial classification: Decorative potted chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Spontaneous mutation of Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Bi Time (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 08/232,653, now abandoned).

Propagation:

Type.--Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.--7 to 10 days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.--Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.--Perennial herbaceous anemone potted plant. Stems upright, uniform habit and freely branching. Moderately vigorous and compact growth habit.

Plant height.--About 26 cm.

Lateral branch length.--18 to 20 cm.

Quantity of lateral branches after removal of apical meristem.--About 5.

Stem color.--147B.

Foliage description.--Number of leaves per lateral branch: 17 to 18. Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Leaf size, fully expanded: Length: 6 to 8 cm. Width: 3.5 to 4 cm. Leaf apex: Acuminate. Leaf base: Attenuate. Leaf margin: Palmately lobed. Leaf texture: Upper and under surfaces slightly pubescent, smooth and dull. Veins prominent on under surface. Petiole length: About 2 cm. Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage under surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded foliage under surface: 147B. Venation upper surface: 147B. Venation under surface: 147B. Petiole: 147A.

Flowering description:

Appearance.--Anemone inflorescence form. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a flat capitulum.

Flowering response.--Under natural conditions, plant flowers in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to 3 weeks of long day/short night conditions after sticking followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions, flower about 55 to 57 days later.

Postproduction longevity.--In an interior environment, inflorescences and foliage of flowering plants will maintain good color and substance for at least 3 weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of inflorescences.--10 to 12 inflorescences per flowering stem.

Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 5.25 cm. Depth (Height): About 1.4 cm. Diameter of disc: 1.8 to 2 mm.

Ray florets.--Shape: Short, broad. Size: Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Apex: Rounded. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Satiny, smooth and glabrous. Aspect: Flat. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 23. Color: When opening, upper surface: 80A. When opening, under surface: 80A. Mature, upper surface: 77B fading to 77C with subsequent development. Mature, under surface: 75D.

Disc florets.--Shape: Tubular. Size: Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 106, Color: Immature: 59A. Mature: Tip: 59C. Middle: 155D. Base: 154C.

Peduncle.--Aspect: Flexible and angled about 30° to the stem. Length: 4 to 5 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 147B.

Reproductive organs.--Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anther color: 12A. Pollen: Moderate, 12A in color. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Style color: 154A.

Disease resistance: No known Chrysanthemum diseases observed to date on plants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

                  CHART A                                                          ______________________________________                                         CHARACTERISTIC   JINGLE TIME  BI TIME                                          ______________________________________                                         PLANT HEIGHT     About 26 cm  About 29 cm                                      LATERAL BRANCH   18 to 20 cm  23.5 to 25 cm                                    LENGTH                                                                         RAY FLORET COLOR,                                                                               80A          69B                                              WHEN OPENING, UPPER                                                            SIDE                                                                           RAY FLORET COLOR,                                                                               77B          69B                                              MATURE, UPPER SIDE                                                             RAY FLORET COLOR,                                                                               75D          69D                                              MATURE, UNDER SIDE                                                             DISC FLORET LENGTH                                                                              About 1.2 cm About 1.5 cm                                     DISC FLORET QUANTITY                                                                            About 106    About 140                                        PER INFLORESCENCE                                                              DIAMETER OF DISC 1.8 to 2 cm  2 to 2.3 cm                                      PEDUNCLE LENGTH  4 to 5 cm    7 to 8 cm                                        ______________________________________                                     

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named Jingle Time, as illustrated and described. 